Warning: This article discusses suicide and may be distressing for some readers.
A military leader allegedly involved in the harassment of a 19-year-old soldier before her death has recently addressed the accusations.
In December 2021, Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was discovered deceased at her Wiltshire army base in the UK. Her death came months after she lodged a complaint regarding the conduct of a fellow soldier.
During an inquest, it was revealed that Gunner Beck had submitted a grievance against Battery Sergeant Major Michael Webber in July 2021, with allegations that a soldier attempted to ‘pin her down’ and ‘kiss’ her.
Testimonies also indicated that Gunner Beck received numerous messages from Bombardier Ryan Mason, a senior colleague, who reportedly made her feel ‘trapped’ and ‘unsafe’ at work, according to Sky News.
The young soldier was reportedly ‘freaked out’ by her boss’s ‘obsessive’ and ‘psychotic’ behavior, claiming she received 3,600 messages from him in just one month prior to her death. She was also said to be concerned about her phone being hacked.
Former Bombardier Mason is reported to have sent texts like ‘I love you’ and ‘You’re amazing Jaysley’ to her. However, during a hearing at Salisbury Coroner’s Court, he stated that he knew ‘there was never a chance with her’.
Mason, outranking and older than Beck, declined to answer the coroner Nicholas Rheinberg’s questions about whether he had ‘romantic feelings’ or had ‘declared his love’ for the young soldier. The Mirror reports that her suspected suicide was linked to ‘relentless’ harassment.
In his testimony, Mr. Mason, who resigned from the Army the same month as Gunner Beck’s death and currently works as a driving instructor, described Beck as an ‘energetic person’ and denied ’emotionally manipulating’ her.
The coroner queried Mr. Mason: “Did you, while staying in a hotel, ask Jaysley to sleep with you?” He replied: “No.”
Following an alleged hotel incident involving Mr. Mason and another soldier, Gunner Beck reportedly left early and phoned her parents in a ‘frightened state’.
Coroner Rheinberg further asked: “Did you during the course of that stay enter Jaysley’s room and put your hand on her leg?” Mr. Mason responded: “No.”
A message from Gunner Beck to Mr. Mason on that day read: “I honestly feel trapped in this whole situation, I have tried to act as a normal as possible because we are working together, but nothing is normal about this situation.
“I have tried to be there for you as a friend, but it completely crossed the line of that a long time ago,” she continued. “I have felt so uncomfortable at this event, I have literally cried about it and been up worrying about it.
“The truth is I am struggling to deal with all this, it’s taken a huge toll on my mental health for many reasons. I need time out.”
Mr. Mason became emotional, revealing during the hearing that he struggled with mental health issues, had self-harmed in 2015, and relocated to his family home in West Yorkshire on December 8 before resigning.
Alison Gerry, the family’s counsel, questioned him: “You were Jaysley’s line manager, you were older, she was a young new soldier and your subordinate and it’s right you became completely obsessed with her, possessive, jealous, manipulative and when she split up with her boyfriend, you were overjoyed as that meant you could be together and when that did not happen you became more obsessive and manipulative?”
Ms. Gerry also pointed out that despite knowing about the alleged sexual assault on the young soldier, he continued to ‘pursue’ her.
During Mr. Mason’s testimony, Gunner Beck’s mother, Leighann McCready, turned away to face the back of the room.
According to a service inquiry report released in October 2023, the teenager endured ‘an intense period of unwelcome behaviour’ that was deemed ‘almost certain’ to have been a causal factor in her death.
The inquest is ongoing.